Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) vs Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (FMS) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | FMS | 1.5% revenue growth vs CYH's -1.2% |
| Value | CYH | Lower P/E (0.9x vs 9.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | FMS | 5.0% net margin vs CYH's 4.1% |
| Stability / Safety | FMS | Beta 0.40 vs CYH's 1.24 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CYH | +15.0% vs FMS's +0.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CYH | 3.9% ROA vs FMS's 3.2%, ROIC 21.0% vs 5.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Community Health Systems operates a network of general acute care hospitals across the United States. It generates revenue primarily from patient services — including inpatient care, emergency room visits, surgeries, and outpatient services — with Medicare and Medicaid representing significant portions of its payer mix. The company's scale as one of the largest for-profit hospital operators provides purchasing power and geographic diversification across multiple states.
Fresenius Medical Care is a global leader in dialysis care and products for patients with chronic kidney failure. It generates revenue through two main segments: dialysis services (about 75% of revenue) from its network of outpatient clinics and hospital contracts, and dialysis products (about 25%) including machines, dialyzers, and related supplies. The company's key advantage is its vertically integrated model—combining clinics, products, and services—which creates patient stickiness and economies of scale in the capital-intensive dialysis industry.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
FMS leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). CYH leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
FMS is the larger business by revenue, generating $19.6B annually — 1.6x CYH's $12.5B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 5.0% (FMS) to 4.1% (CYH). On growth, FMS holds the edge at -0.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | FMSFresenius Medical… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $12.5B | $19.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.9B | $3.3B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $509M | $978M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $302M | $1.2B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +56.7% | +25.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +11.9% | +9.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +4.1% | +5.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +2.4% | +6.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.9% | -0.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.5% | +8.5% |
Valuation Metrics
At 0.9x trailing earnings, CYH trades at a 92% valuation discount to FMS's 11.8x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, CYH's 0.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than FMS's 6.3x.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | FMSFresenius Medical… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $485M | $13.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $888M | $24.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 0.92x | 11.84x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 9.89x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 2.32x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 0.46x | 6.33x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.04x | 0.59x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 0.81x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.33x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CYH scores 8/9 vs FMS's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | FMSFresenius Medical… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +6.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.9% | +3.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +21.0% | +5.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +13.1% | +6.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.76x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $403M | $9.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $260M | $1.6B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $663M | $10.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.86x | 6.84x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in FMS five years ago would be worth $7,718 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,927 for CYH. Over the past 12 months, CYH leads with a +15.0% total return vs FMS's +0.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors FMS at 9.1% vs CYH's -17.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | FMSFresenius Medical… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.6% | -0.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +15.0% | +0.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -42.9% | +29.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -60.7% | -22.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -77.1% | -28.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -17.0% | +9.1% |
Risk & Volatility
FMS is the less volatile stock with a 0.40 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CYH's 1.24 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | FMSFresenius Medical… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.24x | 0.40x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $4.47 | $30.46 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.24 | $20.95 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +77.4% | +77.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 63.3 | 49.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.4M | 518K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates CYH as "Hold" and FMS as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 19.4% upside for FMS (target: $28) vs -1.7% for CYH (target: $3).
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | FMSFresenius Medical… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $3.40 | $28.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 37 | 18 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 2 | 3 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Apr 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 100 | 107.77 | +7.8% |
| Fresenius Medical C… (FMS) | 83.66 | 58.23 | -30.4% |
Fresenius Medical C… (FMS) returned -23% over 5 years vs Community Health Sy… (CYH)'s -61%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | $18.4B | $12.5B | -32.3% |
| Fresenius Medical C… (FMS) | $17.0B | $19.6B | +15.3% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s revenue grew from $18.4B (2016) to $12.5B (2025) — a -4.2% CAGR. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's revenue grew from $17.0B (2016) to $19.6B (2025) — a 1.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -9.3% | 4.1% | +143.7% |
| Fresenius Medical C… (FMS) | 6.9% | 5.0% | -28.2% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s net margin went from -9% (2016) to 4% (2025). Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's net margin went from 7% (2016) to 5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 1.7 | 0.8 | -52.9% |
| Fresenius Medical C… (FMS) | 25.3 | 14.2 | -43.9% |
Community Health Systems, Inc. has traded in a 1x–12x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~1x. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA has traded in a 10x–39x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~12x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -15.54 | 3.77 | +124.3% |
| Fresenius Medical C… (FMS) | 1.87 | 1.68 | -10.2% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-15.54 (2016) to $3.77 (2025). Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's EPS grew from $1.87 (2016) to $1.68 (2025) — a -1% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Community Health Systems, Inc. generated $208M FCF in 2025 (+135% vs 2021). Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA generated $0M FCF in 2025 (-100% vs 2021).
CYH vs FMS: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CYH or FMS a better buy right now?
Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) offers the better valuation at 0.9x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) a "Hold" — based on 37 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — CYH or FMS?
On trailing P/E, Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) is the cheapest at 0.9x versus Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA at 11.8x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — CYH or FMS?
Over the past 5 years, Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (FMS) delivered a total return of -22.8%, compared to -60.7% for Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH). A $10,000 investment in FMS five years ago would be worth approximately $8K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: FMS returned -28.5% versus CYH's -77.1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — CYH or FMS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (FMS) is the lower-risk stock at 0.40β versus Community Health Systems, Inc.'s 1.24β — meaning CYH is approximately 209% more volatile than FMS relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — CYH or FMS?
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (FMS) is the more profitable company, earning 5.0% net margin versus 4.1% for Community Health Systems, Inc. — meaning it keeps 5.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CYH leads at 11.9% versus 9.3% for FMS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CYH leads at 56.7%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is CYH or FMS more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for FMS: 19.4% to $28.00.
07Which pays a better dividend — CYH or FMS?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is CYH or FMS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (FMS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.40)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (FMS: -28.5%, CYH: -77.1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between CYH and FMS?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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